Conception News and Research

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Does the time of year in which a child is conceived influence future academic achievement?

Yes, according to research by neonatologist Paul Winchester, M.D., Indiana University School of Medicine professor of clinical pediatrics. Dr. Winchester, who studied 1,667,391 Indiana students, presents his finding on May 7 at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting.

7 May 2007

Treating pelvic and back pain in pregnancy

Stretching exercises, special pillows and acupuncture could help relieve back and pelvic pain that often occur during pregnancy, according to an updated review.

4 May 2007

Diabetes damages DNA in men's sperm and may affect fertility

Scientists have found that sperm from diabetic men have greater levels of DNA damage than sperm from men who do not have the disease.

4 May 2007

Biden discusses opposition to Supreme Court opinion in federal abortion ban case

Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, in an interview on Sunday on NBC's " Meet the Press " said that he supports a federal law (S 3) banning so-called "partial-birth" abortion but added that the majority opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision last month to uphold the law is an "intellectually dishonest rationale for an honest justification for upholding the ban".

2 May 2007

Actions taken on abortion-related legislation in Kansas, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas

The following highlights recent news of state actions on abortion-related legislation.

1 May 2007

Mexico City bill that legalizes abortion during first three months' gestation published into law

A bill that allows pregnant women to obtain a legal abortion in Mexico City during the first three months' gestation was published into law on Thursday, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (Castillo, AP/Houston Chronicle , 4/26).

30 Apr 2007

Junk DNA plays a role in controlling when genes turn on and off

Large swaths of garbled human DNA once dismissed as junk appear to contain some valuable sections, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of California-Santa Cruz.

24 Apr 2007

Immune system disorder may be the cause of unexplained infertility

It's been a topic on Sex and the City and was rumored to be a problem for a popular sitcom star when she and her husband were trying to conceive.

18 Apr 2007

Genetic mutation that prevents sperm production found

Up to 15 percent of couples of childbearing age struggle with the heartache of infertility.

11 Apr 2007

Smoking may influence sex of unborn babe

A study by British pediatricians suggests that smoking cigarettes can influence the gender of an unborn baby.

11 Apr 2007

Obese couples are less fertile

According to Danish researchers being obese can hinder conception and this is especially true if both partners are overweight.

8 Mar 2007

Trial of Aspirin to aid conception

Researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Utah are beginning a clinical trial to test whether aspirin can improve a woman's chances of becoming pregnant and of maintaining a pregnancy to term.

26 Feb 2007

Spring births increase likelihood of preterm birth

Women who become pregnant in spring are more vulnerable to preterm birth than those who conceive in other seasons, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.

5 Feb 2007

Mobile phones increase mens' risk of infertility

More doubt has been cast on the safety of mobile phones by a new study which says men who use them could be risking their fertility.

24 Oct 2006

Michigan Gubernatorial candidate DeVos 'thrilled' if state could enforce abortion ban

Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos (R) on Thursday during a radio interview said he would be "thrilled" if Michigan were to reinstate a state law that banned abortion except to save a pregnant woman's life "[a]s soon as Roe v. Wade" -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively barred state abortion bans -- "is overturned, which I think we all pray it will be".

16 Oct 2006

Sen. Kerry says language used by both sides in abortion-rights debate often 'misleading and unconstructive'

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who supports abortion rights, on Monday during a speech at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., said both abortion-rights supporters and abortion-rights opponents sometimes use "misleading and unconstructive" language and urged both sides to find "common ground," on the issue, the Boston Globe reports.

20 Sep 2006

Childhood asthma linked to low vitamin E intake during pregnancy

Researchers in Britain believe that children whose mothers had a low intake of vitamin E during pregnancy are more likely to develop wheezing and asthma by age five.

4 Sep 2006

FDA develops cost-effective way to identify bioterror agents used in hoax incidents

Researchers at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) are developing a quick, cost-effective way to screen for and identify bioterror agents and other substances used in hoax incidents.

3 Aug 2006

Conception and pregnancy put at risk by marijuana use

According to new research the use of marijuana when a woman is trying to conceive or has just become pregnant, is not recommended as it endangers the passage of the embryo from the ovary to the uterus and can result in a failed pregnancy.

2 Aug 2006

Taking multivitamins around time of conception reduces preeclampsia risk

Women who are considering becoming pregnant may significantly reduce their risk of developing a common life-threatening complication called preeclampsia by taking a multivitamin supplement regularly three months before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy.

26 Jul 2006